Latinx/Chicanx actor/playwright/artivist | Ser Anzoategui
Hispanic Lifestyle with the assistance of 2017 Latina of Influence Anna Sauceda spoke with actress Ser Anzoategui about her role the Starz network drama series VIDA. Debut in 2018 VIDA follows the life of two Mexican-American sisters, Emma and Lyn, from the Eastside of Los Angeles who couldn’t be more different or distanced from each other. Circumstances force them to return to their old neighborhood, where they are confronted by the past and shocking truth about their mother’s identity. Ser Anzoategui plays the role Eddy.
From Ser Anzoategui IMBD bio . . .
Ser Anzoategui is a non-binary Latinx/Chicanx actor/playwright/artivist with the gender pronoun ‘They/Them/Theirs,’ who plays the role of Eddy and some reviews call them, the break out star, in the Starz network drama series, ‘Vida.” Originally from Huntington Park, CA, they grew up in various East Los Angeles and San Gabriel Valley communities. They wrote and performed at Rio Hondo College and graduated from LMU with a BA in Communication and Fine Arts and theatre major in 2005.
Upon graduating, Ser wrote their first solo show at Casa 0101 in Boyle Heights and soon after, was selected for the Redcat Studio series in 2008. For the world premiere, they worked closely with Louie Perez of legendary Chicano band Los Lobos, penning original lyrics to the music of the solo show. The play was a hit, garnering 5 LA Weekly, Nominations, two LA Weekly awards, and multiple raving reviews.
Ser’s second solo about self discovery, queerness/nonbinary/trans themes, Catholic School Daze, sold out in theatres throughout Los Angeles and universities. In 2012, they received a Broadway World nod for Best Supporting Actress in a musical for Evangeline the Queen of Make Believe, with music by grammy winning band, Los Lobos.
Ser’s highly successful theatre recognition led to being cast in a recurring guest star role on Hulu’s emmy nominated East Los High as openly queer character, Daysi Cantu. Following East Los High, Ser landed additional roles on Crazy Ex Girlfriend, The Fosters, Shameless, and other projects. They appeared as themself, a comic on LATV’s Latino 101. They received recognition for being an actor in the City of LA by Tom LaBonge’s district.
Ser has been an active Eastside community member since 2004, making numerous contributions including collaborations with the East La Housing Corporation, participation in city initiative workshops/performances, active artivism with Nela Alliance creating theatre in response to the many challenging issues caused by gentrification in Northeast LA, and farming via the Boyle Heights community garden, Proyecto Jardin. Ser has worked/collaborated/presented by/ with Mujeres De Maiz, Latino Equality Alliance, California Endowment, Gender Justice LA, TransLatina Coalition, LA LGBTQ Center’s Mi Centro, Casa 0101, Self Help Graphics, Eviction Defense Network, Grammy winning artists Quetzal/Aloe Blacc/Maya Jupiter, and autonomous collective Eastside Cafe.
Outside of entertainment and ARTivism, Ser’s hobbies include singing in the car while waiting in traffic, meditation, hot yoga, creating mindful recipes for cooking, swimming, playing in the ocean,
Ser was a selected playwright for the 2017 Maria Irene Fornes Playwrighting workshop at Notre Dame in Chicago. Ser is up and coming in the industry, but perhaps even more importantly, they are playing a significant role in empowering and advocating for local community as well as educating the larger society through entertainment.
